Kathryn is a Plasma Injector Engineer who primarily works on the plasma injector PI3, the world’s largest and most powerful of its kind.
“Our focus is to continuously improve plasma performance by controlling key parameters like the magnetic configuration, pulsed power settings, and machine wall condition. The charged particles in the plasma flow along magnetic field lines designed to keep the plasma away from the machine wall. When configured properly, the magnetic field acts as a thermal insulator, enabling us to heat the core of the plasma,” explains Kathryn.
General Fusion has demonstrated this control on PI3 by creating a hot, long-lasting plasma on the scale required for the fusion demonstration.
“I primarily facilitate experiments by operating the plasma injector, maintaining its subsystems, and performing data analysis,” adds Kathryn.
Kathryn moved to Vancouver from Montreal and joined General Fusion in June 2021.
“I feel a sense of purpose in my contributions to developing a critical clean energy source of the future. I love our work’s interdisciplinary nature, which involves collaborating with exceptional talent from different fields,” said Kathryn.
Kathryn earned her Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from McGill University, where she built and characterized a non-thermal plasma experiment.
When Kathryn is not operating PI3 in the lab, she is busy enjoying hiking trails in Vancouver, playing volleyball, sketching and painting.
